In the last generation of console gaming, Nintendo was struggling with its lackluster Gamecube. Dominating this period was the titanic battle between Microsoft’s Xbox and the almighty Sony PlayStation 2. Fast forward to the present and the ongoing struggle between Microsoft and Sony is still in place; however, the one console ruling the world in this generation is the Nintendo Wii.
Some of you might be saying, “What? When did that happen?” But it’s true – almost unbeknown to Kiwi gamers, the Nintendo Wii is the highest selling console so far - even for the Aussies. The gaming environment, however, is different with us Kiwis. The Wii is still popular in NZ but the Nintendo brand as a whole was never embraced by the more mature tastes of the average Kiwi gamer: we prefer action-packed titles like Gears of War or Killzone 2.
This was evident a few years back at the Auckland Armageddon event, where Nintendo displayed a whole floor of their latest Wii titles. Sure, there were a couple of people interested in them, but the main attractions were the playable Xbox 360 and PS3 games on the floor above. They even had an R18 tent, which I believe was more crowded than the Nintendo area. This trend is still continuing – last Christmas more people bought PS3 bundles than any other console, with the Xbox 360 being the second most popular. Nintendo, with its lack of appealing games in comparison to its competitors, trailed at a distant third.
Speaking of competition, online gaming has become popular the world over, but no online game has had more of an impact in New Zealand than Counter Strike. If you took a walk in a New Zealand suburb a few years ago, you would see every cyber café flooded with gamers. Most of these gamers would be school children who would rush after class to play Counter Strike, the most popular and addictive online game of the day. Nowadays consoles are just as popular as the PC for online gaming, and New Zealanders still love guns and violence. This fascination for action and gore is evident from the increasing popularity of games such as Xbox’s Halo franchise and Gears of War, which are fast becoming the most played games amongst Kiwi gamers. Comparing NZ to overseas, the preference of game genre in the Asian market differs slightly from Kiwi gamers’ tastes due in part to the lack of Xbox 360’s that are sold in that region. They are more into MMORPG’s than shoot-em-ups, while in Europe fierce online competitions are waged with the two major soccer titles in FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer.
Whereas soccer is huge in Europe, no other sports are more synonymous in NZ than Rugby (Union or League) and Cricket. Overseas gamers are spoilt with yearly iterations of all their favourite sports – the US has Madden, Europe loves FIFA – but poor old New Zealanders are left out in the cold when it comes to frequently updated games of our national sports. The only NZ sport available to current generation consoles is Ricky Ponting Cricket 2007, released back in late 2006 for the Xbox 360! 2008 only saw the release of an updated version of 2005’s Rugby League 2, dubbed “World Cup Edition”. Sadly, it was only available for the PS2. Sidhe Interactive is still yet to confirm whether there will even be a Rugby League 3, but given how well New Zealand did in Rugby League last year (winning the World Cup and reaching the semis in the NRL), I’m sure the Wellington-based lads will not disappoint their avid fans.
Sports are a good example that video gaming is not all about violence, nor is the demographic always targeted towards young males. The Nintendo Wii is also a great example as it has established its huge user base around the world by aiming for a more social gaming experience. The Xbox 360 caters for the more hardcore gamer, while the PlayStation brand is a mix of both. However, as I have previously mentioned, Kiwis have never liked Nintendo’s almost child-like approach even when it comes to social games like Wii Sports. The two biggest party games in NZ are the Buzz and Singstar franchises, attracting more Kiwis than any other titles. 175,000 Singstar microphones now occupy NZ homes!
It’s safe to say that Kiwi gamers differ from the rest of the world. This shows in the type of sports and genres of games that we are into. Rugby is a tough man’s sport compared to soccer whereas Killzone 2 could also be called a real man’s game. In conclusion I believe it’s safe to say that we are indeed a PlayStation Nation, and every Christmas gamers, all over the country are getting their PlayStation tan.
Damian Seeto
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